On Wed, 20 Oct 2004 01:52:01 GMT, "Ann in Houston" wrote:

There used to be a general opinion that they were easier on lilies than
regular koi. Who here has an opinion on this? These are fairly big bf koi.

Well maybe it is the high quality food, as I'm in that boat with Ingrid,
and don't have problems with my koi.... but... I have had some koi be
really bad plant munching machines and they were all short fin variety.
This was before I starting reading labels though.

I think the best accidental experiment was at a dealers up in Spokane. They
had two ponds, one with short fins, one with BF, winter was coming. They
took the lilies they didn't sell and put them in the bottom of these two
ponds. When spring came, there wasn't a lily left in the short fin pond,
whereas the lilies were flourishing in the BF pond.

Then there is also the theory that planting your lilies in clay, without
adequate protection (Ingrid mentioned rocks) will doom them, as koi
love/need something in the clay as a dietary aide. I plant in sand, lay
weed fabric strips over the top and then large river rock. No problems here
with mostly butterfly and 2 short fins. ~ jan


~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~